DOCSLIB.ORG

CAMBODIA: CIVIL SOCIETY, POWER and STALLED DEMOCRACY Stephen P

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CAMBODIA: CIVIL SOCIETY, POWER and STALLED DEMOCRACY Stephen P CAMBODIA: CIVIL SOCIETY, POWER AND STALLED DEMOCRACY Stephen P. Marks and Ramya Naraharisetti ‘All power belongs to the people’. (Cambodian Constitution, Article 51, 1993) ‘The space for civil society is steadily shrinking.’ (Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Human Rights in Cambodia, 2008) 1.INTRODUCTION This chapter examines the power relations affecting the capacity and agency of four local Cambodian human rights organisations in the context of the painful trajectory of Cambodia since the political transition of 1992-1993. The pivotal moment in this evolution was the 1993 election organized by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) of a Constituent Assembly, which adopted a democratic constitution. Although the transition ended decades of extreme deprivation, foreign intervention, genocide, and civil war, it did not resolve most of the underlying power relations that undermine democratic governance, produce unequal development and lead to human rights violations. In the ensuing eighteen years, a vibrant civil society and a genuine political opposition have struggled for political space in the face of the consolidation of power in one party1, which has frequently engaged in repressive practices. This chapter will explore the proposition that the power-holders in an autocratic regime, operating under a democratic constitution and pressure from civil society and the international community, display rhetorical support for human rights, yet limit the opportunities and the organisational capacities to contest abusive practices and vested interests. To test this hypothesis we explore the organisational capacity and impact of four NGOs working in human rights in a dynamic environment, in which some aspects of democracy are advancing while others are backsliding. In sum, the Cambodian government adheres superficially to human rights as set out in its democratic constitution, while civil society contends with diverse power relations in an effort to make the promise of that constitution a reality. Our findings confirm that ‘the formation of a civil society that is playing an increasing role in national affairs is the single most important achievement of the past 10 years.’2 A team of Cambodian researchers, under the direction of Mey Sovannara, was recruited by the Cambodia Coordination Committee (CCC) in early 2009 to provide information and analysis of the political and institutional context in which civil society organizations and movements advance human rights and pro-poor agendas (‘context mapping’) and specific information regarding selected institutions or movements (‘organizational studies’). Research for the context mapping took place from 5 February to 23 March 2009 on the basis of published and unpublished materials in various languages, as well as personal knowledge by the researchers.3 The second phase of the research took place from 22 September to 12 1 As warned by The Economist, ‘the country is becoming a de facto one-party state with few checks on executive power,’ Economist Intelligence Unit, Country Report: Cambodia, London: The Economist, August 2010, p. 4. 2 Cambodia Coordination Committee, Context Mapping Report: Cambodia, 5 February – 23 March 2009, (referred to below as ‘CCC, Context Mapping Report’), p. 17. 3 The results of this phase appear in CCC, Context Mapping Report, available on the project web site. 2 October 2009, and involved site visits to four organisations and review of documents in accordance with a research protocol and ten research questions provided by the project. The four organisations, described in section 2.d. below, were selected to reflect a range of establishment dates, thematic agendas, geographical scope and modes of operation.4 In the next section, we chronicle the historical roots of the present political landscape, the growth of civil society, and the sources and impact of human rights discourse. In the third section, we describe the various types of power constraints on human rights NGOs in Cambodia. The fourth section discusses spaces of engagement and the fifth section examines the building of countervailing power against repression. The sixth section concludes by examining whether and how the transformation of power structures can take place. 2. CONTEXT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND POWER RELATIONS IN CAMBODIA 2. a. Historical and political background The political economy and history of Cambodia provide essential background to understand the constraints and challenges faced by civil society organisations in their experiences of power. Cambodia suffers not only from a recent history of large-scale political violence but also from widespread corruption5 and poverty.6 The potential for civil society to exercise countervailing power is hampered by Cambodia’s rapid economic growth7 and consequent employment opportunities, which encourage support for the government in power. The country is improving with respect to primary education, child mortality, and HIV/AIDS, but is not doing as well in reducing maternal mortality and ensuring environmental sustainability.8 Like many countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia’s political traditions derive primarily from Eastern culture, the absolute rule of god-kings, and Buddhist beliefs. Attitudes toward human rights and law in general continue to be affected by past traditions dating from the age of the Khmer empire, which ruled from the distant Angkor from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries.9 The king was distant from the people, who rarely saw him. Even in the nineteenth 4 The research results appear in CCC, The Organisational Study: Cambodia - ADHOC, CLEC, LICADHO AND CDPO, 22 September – 12 October 2009 (referred to below as ‘CCC, Organisational Study’), available on the project web site. 5 Cambodia scores 2.1 and ranks 154 out of 178 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2010. Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2010, Berlin, Germany: Transparency International, 2010, p. 3. In 2008, the score was 1.8 and rank 166. The CPI Score ‘relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by businesspeople and country analysts, and ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt)’. 6 25.8% of the population currently lives below the income poverty line of $1.25/day UNDP ranks Cambodia 124 out of 169 on the Human Development Index. UNDP, Human Development Report 2010, New York: Palgrave Macmillan Houndmills, 2010, p. 162. See also the World Bank’s Cambodia Poverty Assessment at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:2 0204883~isCURL:Y~menuPK:435735~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html. 7 GDP annual growth between 1998 and 2008 was almost 10%, interrupted in 2008-09, but is expected to recover in 2010-11 to of 6.7 %. See World Bank country brief for Cambodia at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CAMBODI AEXTN/0,,menuPK:293865~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:293856,00.html 8 CCC, Context Mapping Report, p. 18. 9 David Chandler, A History of Cambodia, 2nd ed. (Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books, 1993). See also Mahesh Kumar Sharan, Political History of Ancient Cambodia, from 1st Cent. A.D. to 15th Cent. A.D. (New Delhi: Vishwavidya Publishers, 1986); Michael Vickery, Kampuchea: Politics, Economics, and Society (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 1986). 3 century, villagers had only a vague idea of the king, generally believing him to have the power to influence the weather, to ‘dispense true justice’ and to be ‘the only political source of hope among peasants.’10 Patronage and clientship at the village level remained an essential part of the social structure up to the nineteenth century, as the ‘rectitude and permanence of these relationships had been drummed into people from birth.’11 The social structures of the past and the place of the individual in the Khmer cosmology were adapted under modern ideas of government, but not entirely eliminated by the introduction of constitutions in the mid-twentieth century. In fact, to the surprise of the international community, the drafters of the 1993 Constitution not only referred in the preamble to Cambodia’s ‘grand civilization of a prosperous, powerful, and glorious nation whose prestige radiates like a diamond’ and to ‘the prestige of Angkor civilization,’12 they also restored monarchy. As one constitutional scholar has observed, ‘monarchy has witnessed the most glorious moments of Khmer civilization. Its millennial embedding makes it the principal feature of the political tradition that still prevails among the peasant masses.’13 Beyond these historical and cultural influences, the power structures in Cambodia are deeply affected by French colonialism and twenty years of civil war. Along with a legacy of exploitation and repression for two-thirds of a century (1887-1953), the French brought the first legal system and formal constitution of 1947 defining the functions and powers of national institutions, which were in place when France granted full independence to the Kingdom of Cambodia under King Norodom Sihanouk in 1953. These systems remained until Sihanouk’s overthrow by US-supported forces of Lon Nol in 1970 and the establishment of the Khmer Republic. The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), which later became the Party of Democratic Kampuchea (PDK) and popularly known as the Khmer Rouge, defeated Lon Nol’s forces in 1975 and proceeded to devastate the country, killing some 2 million people by execution, forced labour and starvation,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gender-Based Violence During the Khmer Rouge Regime
    Gender-Based Violence During the Khmer Rouge Regime Stories of survivors from the Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) Nakagawa Kasumi March 2008 1 Cover Photo Mrs. LY Vanny, born in 1944 and she was lecturer at Faculty of Khmer Literature and her children; 1. KE Kanpiseth, Born 1966 2. KE Kannika, Born 1967 3. KE Dannine, Born 1969 4. KE Karpraneth, Born 1972 The family was last seen at the end of 1976, in Spean Tren village, Phnom Srok, Battambang province. Mrs. LY Vanny was a first daughter of Mr. LY Kvang Pann, former minister of Justice during Khmer Republic. If somebody knows about this family, please do not hesitate to contact: Ms LY Vichuta e mail: [email protected] English edition first published in July 2007 The first edition was published in the Asia Pacific Year Book of International Humanitarian Law, Volume 2, 2006 Second edition, March 2008 Phnom Penh Cambodia 2 “I tried to protect myself by keeping my legs next to each other, but they forced open them. So I dared not move because I was afraid they would break my legs. I just let them do whatever they wanted to. Only one of them could put his penis inside me. The first man could not because his sexual organ was so big that he could not insert it. The first man said, “Today I couldn‟t succeed, but next time I will make the vagina wider open.” Then, he let the other man have sex with me. After the rape, they said, “If you tell anybody about this story, your whole family will be killed because all of you have been classified as the Angkar‟s enemies already.” - A woman who was 12 years old when she was raped 3 Preface to the second edition It is my honor to present the second edition of Gender-based violence during the Khmer Rouge regime.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Justice.Indd
    Chapter 12 Creating a Human Rights Culture: The Role of Local Knowledge in Cambodia’s Difficult Transition Stephen P. Marks 1 INTRODUCTION Few issues in international affairs and in the history of political thought provoke as much speculation and argument as the applicability of universal human rights in diverse political cultures. The debate raises complex philosophical and political issues regarding the relative influence of indigenous and exogenous factors in cre- ating a human rights culture and the interface of universalism and local knowledge in human rights. The universalists argue that human rights belong by definition to people every- where, and rights deprivation in a given society may properly be remedied through intrusive efforts from abroad, ranging from cajoling through naming and sham- ing to coercion through armed intervention. At the other extreme is the cultural relativist position, according to which each society determines for itself how best to govern in light of its own traditions and any questioning of internal self-deter- mination by imposing or suggesting the relevance of the human rights paradigm is a form of cultural imperialism. Even if we recognize that cultures generally share core values and that these values evolve into rights discourse, we may question whether and to what extent the Enlightenment philosophy and the liberal political theory, a direct ancestor to the current panoply of international human rights instruments, constitutes an 1 The author wishes to acknowledge with appreciation the research assistance of Matthew Easton. Some of the facts cited here have appeared in previously published articles by the author in “The New Cambodian Constitution: From Civil War to a Fragile Democracy,” 26 Columbia Human Rights Law Review (1994) 45 and “Elusive Justice for the Victims of the Khmer Rouge,” 52 Journal of International Affairs (1999) 691.
    [Show full text]
  • AICHR Thematic Study on Legal
    ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Thematic Study on Legal Aid The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. For inquiries, contact: The ASEAN Secretariat Community Relations Division (CRD) 70A Jalan Sisingamangaraja Jakarta 12110 Indonesia Phone: (62 21) 724-3372, 726-2991 Fax: (62 21) 739-8234, 724-3504 E-mail: [email protected] Catalogue-in-Publication Data ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) – Thematic Study on Legal Aid Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, July 2019 323.59 1. ASEAN - Human rights – Civil rights 2. Intergovernmental commission – Legal framework ISBN 978-602-5798-38-2 ASEAN: A Community of Opportunities for All The text of this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, provided proper acknowledgement is given and a copy containing the reprinted material is sent to the Community Relations Division (CRD) of the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta General information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org Copyright Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2019. All rights reserved. Table of Contents ACRONYMS vi LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES x FOREWORD xi INTRODUCTION xii LIST OF RESEARCHERS xvii REGIONAL INTRODUCTION 1 ISSUES OF LEGAL AID SERVICES IN THE ASEAN COUNTRIES 15 REGIONAL FINDINGS (ANALYSIS) 22 BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
    [Show full text]
  • Part II Current Condition and Prospects
    Part II Current Condition and Prospects Chapter 1 Overview of Present State of Cambodia Part II Chapter 1 Section 1. Politics Section 1. Politics Yukio IMAGAWA 1. Good governance about 20 years. Although the peace process had many problems, it constituted the basis for the present politi- This paper deals with the state and problems of cal situation. In the following sections, the peace pro- Cambodia’s politics as a prelude to the discussion of cess, and then developments in Cambodia’s internal af- “good governance,” a key issue in development assis- fairs and its external relations in recent years after peace tance to that war-ravaged country. However, it is first was established are reviewed. necessary to look briefly at what “good governance” is from the viewpoint of politics. 2. The Cambodian peace process Although “good governance” is not necessarily syn- onymous with “good government,” it can be simply de- Cambodia once enjoyed peace under the policy of fined as “good governing by good government.” “Good neutrality promulgated by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, government” is often said to be tantamount to “cheap who was adored by the people as the father of indepen- government” or “small government” in terms of reduc- dence. But after March 1970, when Lieutenant General ing the financial burden on the public. But this is only Lon Nol overthrew Prince Sihanouk in a coup d’état, one aspect of good government. What matters most is Cambodia was turned into a killing field during a civil that good governance is conducted by a democratic gov- war that lasted about 20 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender-Based Violence Oxfam GB
    Gender-Based Violence Oxfam GB Oxfam GB, founded in 1942, is a development, humanitarian, and campaigning agency dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering around the world. Oxfam believes that every human being is entitled to a life of dignity and opportunity, and it works with others worldwide to make this become a reality. Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International, a confederation of 13 agencies of diverse cultures and languages, which share a commitment to working for an end to injustice and poverty – both in long-term development work and at times of crisis. For further information about Oxfam’s publishing, and online ordering, visit www.oxfam.org.uk/publications For information about Oxfam’s development, advocacy, and humanitarian relief work around the world, visit www.oxfam.org.uk . Gender-Based Violence Edited by Geraldine Terry with Joanna Hoare First published by Oxfam GB in 2007 This edition © Oxfam GB 2007 The original source for each item in this book is provided at the end of each chapter. Original copyright information is on the Acknowledgements page (vi) which is part of the copyright notice for this book. ISBN 978-0-85598-602-5 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. Reproduction, copy, transmission, or translation of any part of this publication may be made only under the following conditions: • with the prior written permission of the publisher; or • with a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd., 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE, UK, or from another national licensing agency; or • for quotation in a review of the work; or • under the terms set out below.
    [Show full text]
  • Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations Third Universal Periodic Review of the Kingdom of Cambodia
    Joint Submission to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations Third Universal Periodic Review of the Kingdom of Cambodia Access to Justice in Cambodia 12th July 2018 Submission by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”), Destination Justice (“DJ”) and The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (“ADHOC”), and endorsed by Advocacy and Policy Institute (“API”), Transparency International Cambodia (“TIC”), and International Freedom of Expression Exchange (“IFEX”). Cambodian Center for Destination Justice Cambodian Human Rights and Human Rights (“CCHR”) (“DJ”) Development Association (“ADHOC”) Email: Email: [email protected] [email protected] Email: [email protected] Telephone: (+855) 23 726 901 Telephone: (+855) 23 987 263 Telephone: (+855) 23 218 653/ Web: https://cchrcambodia.org/ Web: www.destinationjustice.org (+855) 23 210 518 Web: www.adhoccambodia.org UPR CAMBODIA - Joint-Submission on Access to Justice 1 1. Introduction 1. This joint submission to the third Universal Periodic Review (“UPR”) of the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”) was prepared by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”),1 Destination Justice (“DJ”)2 and The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (“ADHOC”),3 and is endorsed by Advocacy and Policy Institute (“API”),4 Transparency International Cambodia (“TIC”),5 and International Freedom of Expression Exchange (“IFEX”).6 2. During Cambodia’s 2nd UPR, 59 recommendations were made in relation to access to justice, of which 29 specially related to the judicial system, 20 to fair trial rights, 17 to the independence of justice, and 3 to legal aid. Of all these, the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia (“RGC”) accepted 45 and noted 14.
    [Show full text]
  • Cambodia 2018 Human Rights Report
    CAMBODIA 2018 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliamentary government. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won all 125 National Assembly seats in the July 29 national election, having banned the chief opposition party in November 2017. Prior to the victory, Prime Minister Hun Sen had already served for 33 years. International observers, including foreign governments and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and domestic NGOs criticized the election as neither free nor fair and not representative of the will of the Cambodian people. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces, which often threatened force against those who opposed Prime Minister Hun Sen and were generally perceived as an armed wing of the ruling CPP. Human rights issues included unlawful or arbitrary killings carried out by the government or on its behalf; forced disappearance carried out by the government; torture by the government; arbitrary arrests by the government; political prisoners; arbitrary interference in the private lives of citizens, including pervasive electronic media surveillance; censorship and selectively enforced criminal libel laws; interference with the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association; restrictions on political participation; pervasive corruption, including in the judiciary; and use of forced or compulsory child labor. The government did not provide evidence of having prosecuted any officials for abuses, including corruption. A pervasive culture of impunity continued. Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings There were reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
    [Show full text]
  • How Political Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique
    Wright State University CORE Scholar Browse all Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2013 Political Party Transitions in Post-Conflict States: How oliticalP Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique Rachel L. Miller Wright State University Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all Part of the International Relations Commons Repository Citation Miller, Rachel L., "Political Party Transitions in Post-Conflict States: How oliticalP Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique" (2013). Browse all Theses and Dissertations. 674. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all/674 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Browse all Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. POLITICAL PARTY TRANSITIONS IN POST-CONFLICT STATES: HOW POLITICAL PARTIES REACTED AND ADAPTED DURING DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS IN CAMBODIA, EL SALVADOR AND MOZAMBIQUE A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By RACHEL L. MILLER History B.A., Xavier University, 2006 2012 Wright State University WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL December 12, 2012 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY Rachel L. Miller ENTITLED Political Party Transitions in Post-Conflict States: How Political Parties Reacted and Adapted During Democratic Transitions in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique BE ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts.
    [Show full text]
  • Elections in Cambodia July 28 National Assembly Elections
    Elections in Cambodia July 28 National Assembly Elections Frequently Asked Questions Europe and Asia International Foundation for Electoral Systems 1850 K Street, NW | Fifth Floor | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.IFES.org July 17, 2013 Frequently Asked Questions When is Election Day and who are citizens voting for? ................................................................................ 3 Who can be a candidate in Cambodia? ........................................................................................................ 3 What are the rules on campaigning? ............................................................................................................ 3 Who can vote in Cambodia? ......................................................................................................................... 3 How was voter registration conducted? ....................................................................................................... 3 What is the structure of the government? ................................................................................................... 3 Are there reserved seats for women? What is the gender balance within the candidate list? ................... 4 What is the election management body? What are its powers? ................................................................. 4 How many polling stations are set up on Election Day? ............................................................................... 4 How were polling stations allocated to voters? ..........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cambodia Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Assessment Final Assessment Report
    CAMBODIA DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT April 2019 This publication was prepared by NORC and Social Impact Inc. and authored by Suzanne Kelly-Lyall, Neil Loughlin, and Kimchoeun Pak. It was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development. CAMBODIA DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT April 2019 DRG Learning, Evaluation, and Research (LER) II Activity Tasking N002 GS-10F-0033M / 7200AA18M00016 Cover Photo Credit: Nicole Goodrich DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i FINDINGS ii ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS vi INTRODUCTION 1 ASSESSMENT PURPOSE 1 METHODOLOGY: THE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK 1 ASSESSMENT CONTEXT 3 STEP 1: DEFINING THE DRG CHALLENGE: FIVE DRG ELEMENTS 18 CONSENSUS 19 INCLUSION 21 COMPETITION AND POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY 25 HUMAN RIGHTS AND RULE OF LAW 29 GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS 34 SUMMARY 36 STEP 2: ANALYZING KEY ACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS 37 THE SPOILERS 38 INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ACTORS 42 STEP 3: USAID’S OPERATIONAL/ PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENT 46 U.S. FOREIGN POLICY TOWARD CAMBODIA 46 USAID PRIORITIES, INTERESTS, AND RESOURCES 47 STEP 4: OUTLINING THE PROPOSED STRATEGY 52 SUMMARIZING STEPS 1 TO 3: THE PROBLEM STATEMENT 52 DRG OBJECTIVE 52 ANNEXES 61 ANNEX A: DONOR MATRIX 61 ANNEX B: KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW AND FOCUS GROUP LIST 65 ANNEX C: RESEARCH INSTRUMENT 77 ANNEX D: LITERATURE REVIEW 83 ANNEX E: BIBLIOGRAPHY 109 TABLES Table 1: Cambodia's Top Export and Import Partners, 2017 ............................................................................... 41 FIGURES Figure 1: World Economic Forum Gender Gap, 2018 ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cambodia Parliamentary Elections, 27 July 2008
    PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN CAMBODIA ELECTION OBSERVATION DELEGATION 24 – 29 July 2008 Report by Mr. Glyn Ford Chairman of the Delegation Annexes: A. List of participants B. Programme C. Press release by EU Election Observation Mission (29 July 2008) D. Preliminary statement of the EU Election Observation Mission (29 July 2008) E. Official election results 1 Introduction Following an invitation from the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Conference of Presidents decided at its meeting on 12 June 2008 to authorise the sending of a delegation of the European Parliament to observe the Cambodian National Assembly elections, which took place on 27 July 2008. The delegation was composed of seven Members appointed by the political groups in accordance with the rolling d'Hondt system (the list of participants is annexed to this report). As is usual, the European Parliament's delegation was fully integrated into the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), which was led by Mr Martin Callanan, MEP. This EOM opened its offices in Phnom Penh on 13 June 2008 and 44 long-term observers were deployed a week later in all 20 provinces and 4 municipalities, thus covering the 24 constituencies. On Election Day, some 130 EU observers were deployed throughout the country. The 2008 National Assembly elections were the fourth multi-party elections since the signing of the peace agreement in 1991. The previous elections in 2003 were also observed by a delegation of the European Parliament and Mr Glyn Ford was the Chairman on that occasion, too. A number of preparatory meetings took place in Brussels and Strasbourg before the EP delegation left, during which Members had the opportunity to examine the political situation in the country and decide on the most appropriate deployment plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Report
    HUMAN “Tell Them That I Want RIGHTS to Kill Them” WATCH Two Decades of Impunity in Hun Sen’s Cambodia “Tell Them That I Want to Kill Them” Two Decades of Impunity in Hun Sen’s Cambodia Copyright © 2012 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-963-1 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org NOVEMBER 2012 ISBN: 1-56432-963-1 “Tell Them That I Want to Kill Them” Two Decades of Impunity in Hun Sen’s Cambodia Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 I. The Paris Agreements and Developments Since 1991 ....................................................... 7 II. Illustrative Cases of Impunity since the Paris Agreements ............................................ 13 UNTAC and A-Teams .................................................................................................................. 13 S-91 and Chhoeu Khmao, 1992-94 ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]